Multiple electrical problems

[rpgoerlich]

Note you have 12v going to the contact side of the relay with the key on.

When it starts up the alternator supplies a/c voltage to the relay coil, pulls in the contact and 12v goes to the headlight switch.

Do you have a/c Power on the white wire going to the headlight Relay from the Alternator when it's running?
If so then the Diode is probably good.

[dschmitta]

power on wire

Note you have 12v going to the contact side of the relay with the key on.

When it starts up the alternator supplies a/c voltage to the relay coil, pulls in the contact and 12v goes to the headlight switch.

Do you have a/c Power on the white wire going to the headlight Relay from the Alternator when it's running?
If so then the Diode is probably good.

what would be best way to check? Thanks, Dave

[dschmitta]

still not charging.

Hey. Went ahead and replaced regulator/rectifier unit, plugged in, tests were good. Put tank on and started. showed 12.3 prior to start, dropped to 11.4 at 4k. Started 5 times, tried different RPM's and not charging. Don't know what to do now, any ideas. Any XSers near Altoona, Hollidaysbur or State College area of PA>? I have to be doin something wrong, just don't know what. Thanks

[dschmitta]

Hey. Went ahead and replaced regulator/rectifier unit, plugged in, tests were good. Put tank on and started. showed 12.3 prior to start, dropped to 11.4 at 4k. Started 5 times, tried different RPM's and not charging. Don't know what to do now, any ideas. Any XSers near Altoona, Hollidaysbur or State College area of PA>? I have to be doin something wrong, just don't know what. Thanks

going out to try field coil test on green wire. I think this will tell me if new reg. is working and if stator may be problem. If volts jump up, problem in regulator, if not, somwhere else, correct?

[bikerphil]

Yes, I thought you were going to try this a while back. Make sure you don't unplug any connectors, just TAP into the green wire.

[dschmitta]

Yes, I thought you were going to try this a while back. Make sure you don't unplug any connectors, just TAP into the green wire.

tapped green wire, grounded and volts did not jump.

[3Phase]

"Don't panic!"

tapped green wire, grounded and volts did not jump.

It is possible that you got a bad Regulator/Rectifier. Perform all of the FSM tests on the R/R, especially the Rectifier tests.

Add one more test and measure A/C voltage across the battery terminals.
If the Rectifier is good then there will a small "ripple" A/C voltage.
If the Rectifier is bad then there will be a larger A/C voltage.


What you have with the XS1100 is basically a "Type A" charging system just like you'd find in any old garden variety Chrysler but the diode rectifier bridge has grown up and moved out of its Alternator's house and married the cute little Voltage Regulator next door. After the wedding the newly wed couple are permanently epoxied into their new home office inside a great honkin' heat sink that's bolted to a steel frame under a fuel tank where they'll both presumably live and work happily ever after.

It's a very simple system (a Chrysler Voltage Regulator will do the job if the cute little Voltage Regulator from next door decides she doesn't want to work any more) but if ALL of the FSM tests are good and the alternator still isn't charging even when you bypass the Regulator completely by "full fielding" it when you ground the Green wire at the Regulator connector then there is something squirrelly going on.


If the Regulator/Rectifier is good but the alternator isn't charging the battery, just take things one step at a time and do some basic checks. It may seem complicated but it should actually take a lot more time to read this post than it will to perform the tests!

Check the battery connections:
Make sure both the Positive and Negative battery terminal connections are clean and tight and that both battery cables are good.

Check the battery Ground wire connection at the frame underneath the battery and make sure it's clean and tight.
Check the battery Ground wire connection from the frame to the engine and make sure it's clean and tight.

Fully charge the battery, then measure the battery voltage:
With the ignition OFF, measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals.
With the ignition ON, measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals.
There should be almost no difference between the two measurements.

Measure the battery voltage while pressing the Start button. If the battery is good and it was fully charged then the battery voltage should not drop more than 1 or 2 Volts when the starter motor is turning. The battery voltage should never drop below 10 Volts while the starter motor is engaged.

Turn off the ignition switch and wait about fifteen minutes to a half hour for the battery to recover, then measure the battery voltage again. If the battery is good and it was fully charged when you began the tests then the voltage should be almost the same as the first voltage measurement you made with the ignition OFF but without any residual "surface charge."

If the battery and the battery connections are good then move on to the next step.

Check the Ignition Switch and wiring harness connectors:
With the ignition on check the voltage between the battery Positive terminal and Brown wire in the 3-pole Voltage Regulator connector. What you're looking for is any voltage at all, also know as a "voltage drop". There should be very little or no voltage between the battery Positive terminal and the Brown wire at the Regulator.

If there is a measurable voltage drop between the battery Positive terminal and the Brown wire at the Regulator:

Start at the battery Positive terminal and measure the voltage drop across each and every connection in the Red wire up to and including the Ignition switch and the Harness connectors. That will tell you where to find and eliminate any resistance to the flow of current from the battery to the Ignition switch.

Next, measure the voltage on the Brown wire from the Ignition switch to the rest of the electrical system. There should be no voltage drop from the Ignition switch to the Regulator connector or any of the Brown wires at the top of the Fuse Block.

If the voltage is dropping on the Brown wire there is probably a heavy load or a short circuit somewhere in the rest of the electrical system and you'll have to track it down before you can find it by following the magic smoke signals.


Happy Hunting!


*

[dschmitta]

It is possible that you got a bad Regulator/Rectifier. Perform all of the FSM tests on the R/R, especially the Rectifier tests.

Add one more test and measure A/C voltage across the battery terminals.
If the Rectifier is good then there will a small "ripple" A/C voltage.
If the Rectifier is bad then there will be a larger A/C voltage.


What you have with the XS1100 is basically a "Type A" charging system just like you'd find in any old garden variety Chrysler but the diode rectifier bridge has grown up and moved out of its Alternator's house and married the cute little Voltage Regulator next door. After the wedding the newly wed couple are permanently epoxied into their new home office inside a great honkin' heat sink that's bolted to a steel frame under a fuel tank where they'll both presumably live and work happily ever after.

It's a very simple system (a Chrysler Voltage Regulator will do the job if the cute little Voltage Regulator from next door decides she doesn't want to work any more) but if ALL of the FSM tests are good and the alternator still isn't charging even when you bypass the Regulator completely by "full fielding" it when you ground the Green wire at the Regulator connector then there is something squirrelly going on.


If the Regulator/Rectifier is good but the alternator isn't charging the battery, just take things one step at a time and do some basic checks. It may seem complicated but it should actually take a lot more time to read this post than it will to perform the tests!

Check the battery connections:
Make sure both the Positive and Negative battery terminal connections are clean and tight and that both battery cables are good.

Check the battery Ground wire connection at the frame underneath the battery and make sure it's clean and tight.
Check the battery Ground wire connection from the frame to the engine and make sure it's clean and tight.

Fully charge the battery, then measure the battery voltage:
With the ignition OFF, measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals.
With the ignition ON, measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals.
There should be almost no difference between the two measurements.

Measure the battery voltage while pressing the Start button. If the battery is good and it was fully charged then the battery voltage should not drop more than 1 or 2 Volts when the starter motor is turning. The battery voltage should never drop below 10 Volts while the starter motor is engaged.

Turn off the ignition switch and wait about fifteen minutes to a half hour for the battery to recover, then measure the battery voltage again. If the battery is good and it was fully charged when you began the tests then the voltage should be almost the same as the first voltage measurement you made with the ignition OFF but without any residual "surface charge."

If the battery and the battery connections are good then move on to the next step.

Check the Ignition Switch and wiring harness connectors:
With the ignition on check the voltage between the battery Positive terminal and Brown wire in the 3-pole Voltage Regulator connector. What you're looking for is any voltage at all, also know as a "voltage drop". There should be very little or no voltage between the battery Positive terminal and the Brown wire at the Regulator.

If there is a measurable voltage drop between the battery Positive terminal and the Brown wire at the Regulator:

Start at the battery Positive terminal and measure the voltage drop across each and every connection in the Red wire up to and including the Ignition switch and the Harness connectors. That will tell you where to find and eliminate any resistance to the flow of current from the battery to the Ignition switch.

Next, measure the voltage on the Brown wire from the Ignition switch to the rest of the electrical system. There should be no voltage drop from the Ignition switch to the Regulator connector or any of the Brown wires at the top of the Fuse Block.

If the voltage is dropping on the Brown wire there is probably a heavy load or a short circuit somewhere in the rest of the electrical system and you'll have to track it down before you can find it by following the magic smoke signals.


Happy Hunting!


*

Thanks for info. Much appreciated.